


Let's Skip To The Good Bit

by agirlnamedtruth



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Boss/Employee Relationship, Coffee, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Flirting, Interns & Internships, M/M, Oral Sex, Workplace Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-20
Updated: 2013-09-20
Packaged: 2017-12-27 04:21:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/974261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agirlnamedtruth/pseuds/agirlnamedtruth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It takes Arthur six weeks to admit he wants his intern, Merlin, badly. It takes five minutes for coffee to brew. It takes four minutes and fifty nine seconds for Merlin to take Arthur apart piece by piece.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let's Skip To The Good Bit

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the monthly theme of "coffee shops" at [Merlin Writers](http://merlin-writers.livejournal.com/). Prompt was "Good 'ol sex during a coffee break." Then in trying to make it more about coffee, it accidentally grew a plot.
> 
> I wholly blame [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFU8U0uAVhA) for everything. 
> 
> Also putting this down as my wildcard for [Kink Bingo](http://kink-bingo.dreamwidth.org/) for the kink 'in public'.

Arthur didn’t have an assistant as such. He didn’t do enough work to merit one, apparently. But his father had gifted him an intern, _Merlin_ , over the summer. 

On Merlin’s very first day he’d insisted that Arthur do his own chores because he hadn’t been to university for three years to get where he was to make coffee for some prat who at the same age as him had gotten everything handed to him on a silver platter with daddy’s dragon crest engraved on it. Those were his exact words and yet somehow, he’d not ended up fired for them. Arthur really didn’t know why his father had taken him on, he was useless, he didn’t have the qualities needed in a businessman, he had way too many morals and opinions and he didn’t take an order with grace like an intern should. All he was good at was being infuriating. Perhaps that’s why his father had given Merlin to him, to annoy the hell out of him.

After a lot of bargaining, Arthur had conceded that he’d make his own coffee and Merlin agreed to do the rest, under the protestation he was there to gain experience, not be Arthur’s servant. Six weeks later and it was nearly the end of summer. That meant it was nearly the end of Merlin’s summer internship and strangely, Arthur would miss him when he went. Really miss him.

Arthur knew that it wasn’t because his filing system was actually a vast improvement on Arthur’s own or because he knew the exact place to kick the photocopier when it started playing up. No, it was because despite his best efforts not to, he’d actually started to like him. Really like him.

He’d tried to drop hints, ask him out but apparently his hints were as subtle as an anvil and Merlin had told him in no uncertain terms was he going to be the office slut and get himself a permanent job by shagging the CEO’s son. Arthur had tried to explain that he didn’t have the power to hire him even if he was the best lay in the universe. He suspected it hadn’t come out how he’d intended it because he never did get the date he’d been after. Nor the lay.

He’d been driven to an odd sort of desperation by watching Merlin field his calls through the glass divide. Merlin had his feet up on the desk and was leaning so far back in his chair that Arthur wondered how he was defying gravity. After a while all Arthur could see was a pair of impossibly long legs that seemed to go on forever. He pressed his finger to the button on the phone that would broadcast him to Merlin.

“Go and do something useful, will you?” Arthur told him only to receive a hand gesture in return that very much embodied what Arthur would like to do with him.

Arthur picked up the phone, dialling Morgana’s number from memory, actually glad for once that she was head of Human Resources.

“Pendragon Enterprises, HR department, Morgana Pendragon speaking, how may I help you?” Morgana’s voice came, sweet and singsong-y, through the phone.

“Why can’t you be like that all the time, it’d be so pleasant to talk to you,” Arthur asked, not bothering to offer her a greeting.

“Oh, dear brother, I am like this all the time. Just not to you,” Morgana answered, her voice losing some of its fake sweetness and gaining a tinge of sourness. It wasn’t real; the bickering between them, but it was more fun than being nice to each other.

“Do me a favour?” Arthur asked, too distracted to play their games.

“Now why would I do that?” Morgana asked him and Arthur could nearly see her bite on the end of a pen. That was her negation tone. She would do what he asked, whatever he asked, for a price.

“I’ll get you out of Christmas at home,” Arthur promised.

“I’m listening,” Morgana said and Arthur smiled to himself.

“My intern, Merlin - I don’t know his last name, never thought to ask - I need you to offer him a job, any job. I just need him to stay here.”

“An intern? Arthur, honey, it’s a summer thing for a reason, he’s probably a student. He’s not going to drop out of uni because I offer him a chance to make your coffee for rest of the academic year.”

“No, he won’t do coffee,” Arthur said without thinking. He regretted it when he heard Morgana laugh.

“Ah, he must be a twink then if he doesn’t even make a good cup of coffee. That’s why you want to keep him, isn’t it?” Morgana laughed again. “What is it, got a good arse on him, has he? Do you find yourself dropping things so he’ll bend over and pick them up? Everyone knows that’s what you do when you think you’re being so smooth.”

“He’s a good filer, alright?” Arthur asked, hoping that nobody could see the way he’d blushed or that’d probably get back to her somehow.

“More like a good fuck-”

Arthur slammed the phone down guiltily, seeing Merlin return out of the corner of his eye. When he didn’t settle down at his desk, Arthur hit redial.

“Alright, I want him but nothing I say seems to be working. Just give me something I can use,” Arthur relented, begging her now. There were all sorts of things in those personnel files, he was sure she could point him in the right direction.

“Excuse me?” A different voice came over the line sounding more than a little shocked and appalled. He recognized it as the voice of Morgana’s PA, Gwen.

“Oh. Er. Is Morgana available please? Tell her it’s Arthur, if that helps.”

“She’s away from her desk at the moment; may I redirect your call to another adviser?” Gwen asked, her tone not changing. He vaguely hoped he didn’t end up on the end of a sexual harassment suit.

“Who’s available?” Arthur asked, knowing Morgana’s colleges were very much made in Morgana’s own image.

“Vivian and Sophia.”

“Never mind,” Arthur decided, nearly putting the phone down before putting it to his ear again. “I don’t suppose you can help? There’s this intern-”

“I know, sir, Morgana mentioned it.” There was a pause while Gwen seemed to consider his situation. “The interns finish this Friday coming up. Do something special then. But don’t go overboard. Special but simple.”

“Thank you, Gwen, you deserve a raise for sure,” Arthur said, hanging up in time to pretend he was doing nothing at all when Merlin glanced his way.

Within ten minutes Morgana was perched on his desk, explaining why she was no longer at her own. She was trying to guess which intern was Merlin, all under the charade of doing _necessary_ paperwork.

“That one?” Morgana said, pointing with her pen. “I certainly would. God, imagine pulling that hair...”

“That’s Gwaine,” Arthur said, glancing up. “He’s worked here for at least five years.”

“Has he really?” Morgana asked, sounding mildly surprised.

“Do you actually do any work?” Arthur asked her, setting aside real paperwork. “You know, as head of HR, the one who is meant to be there for all the employees on a personal level.”

“I’d like to be on there for him on a personal level,” Morgana said shamelessly. “Tell him he’s coming up for his five year review and that he’s to book an appointment with me personally. See, I do work.”

“Because trying to get off with half the office is work,” Arthur pointed out.

“You’re a fine one to talk,” Morgana huffed. “At least I’m poaching your underlings and not my own.”

“Go buy a pair of shoes or something, will you?” Arthur asked, nearly pleading with her. It had only been luck that had kept Merlin away from his desk so far, he knew it wouldn’t last.

“Fine,” Morgana agreed, dragging the word out and sliding off of Arthur’s desk. “I’m going.”

She walked over to the glass door, pulling it open and leaning out of it, calling out across the office. “Merlin?” 

“What are you doing?” Arthur asked her in a loud whisper. Both of them had seen Merlin’s head turn in her direction. 

“You a favour.” Morgana beckoned Merlin over and he came, shooting Arthur a look through the glass.

Merlin hovered by his desk and to Arthur’s surprised, Morgana held out her hand, shaking his. “It is Merlin, isn’t it?”

Merlin hesitated, looking around her to Arthur. Arthur shrugged, no clue what game Morgana was playing. “Yes,” he admitted finally.

“Great. Fill this out.” Morgana handed him a piece of paper. “We’d like you details on file for future reference, should you want a permanent job with us once you’re finished with your education.”

“Ok,” Merlin said, looking confused but taking the paper anyway.

“And for the record, the job offer is based on your apparently amazing filing skills, not because my brother wants your dick. Nice to meet you, Merlin.” Morgana gave a bright smile and swept past him, stopping only to place what Arthur hoped was just her card on Gwaine’s desk.

“What was that about?” Merlin asked, taking up the spot on Arthur’s desk that Morgana had vacated.

“No idea. I don’t even know her,” Arthur said, hoping her name wasn’t on the form anywhere. “Or her brother for that matter.”

“Right,” Merlin said, not sounding convinced. “Because I thought that was the dreaded Morgana Pendragon. The recently legitimized daughter of Uther Pendragon. Just guessing here but wouldn’t that make her you her brother?”

“And you thought I wasn’t subtle enough, I have nothing on her,” Arthur said, trying to lighten the mood now that he couldn’t pretend she hadn’t said what she’d said.

“Yes, that was certainly something.” Merlin laughed and stood, starting towards the door. When he got to the frame, he paused, leaning against it for a second. “You like my filing system then?”

“It’s...” Arthur paused, how did one compliment a filing system? “Creative?”

“Nice try,” Merlin raised his eyebrow and turned.

“How about that coffee?” Arthur asked as he walked away. “There’s a Starbucks across the street.”

“Don’t be a prat.”

-x-

Friday rolled around way too quickly, with Arthur spending most of his time wondering what the hell special but simple meant. It sounded like a none-too-politically-correct way to insult one’s intern and he was sure that wouldn’t get him a date. In the end he settled for leaving a small box of cakes and a coffee on Merlin’s desk, one from the Starbucks he’d been trying to lure Merlin into for the past week as a hint. Another hint was his phone number scrawled on the side of the cup, as if Merlin didn’t already know it, that was his job after all. 

Nerves were starting to settle in now that he was waiting. If pushed, he could claim the coffee was their _thing_. Or if really pushed, he could claim it was for himself. 

Luckily when Merlin saw it, he just raised his eyebrows and shrugged, taking a bite of a tiny cake and a sip of the coffee. It was nearly ten minutes before he got up and acknowledged the gifts. He leaned against the glass frame of his door and looked him up and down.

“Alright, just this once, I’ll make you coffee,” Merlin relented. “Next coffee break.”

Arthur couldn’t help but stare for a second. Was Merlin really that much of an idiot not to see this had nothing to do with coffee. But then again, Arthur wasn’t stupid enough to refuse. “Alright,” he agreed.

“I’m still not your servant, I’m not bringing it to you,” Merlin said, turning and starting towards the kitchen. “You’ll have to come and get it.”

Arthur looked over at his cup. “You’re going to make the coffee but I have to...stand there and wait for it?”

“Take it or leave it,” Merlin said over his shoulder. Arthur decided he’d definitely take it.

-x-

Arthur watched the clock. He didn’t usually go for coffee until it was exactly 11:30. It was almost an institution in the office. The rest of them could set their watches by Arthur’s coffee habits. But now, now he was itching to run to the small kitchen-like room and he had another five minutes to go. He wasn’t even thirsty. Coffee was the last thing on his mind. Merlin was the first.

With three minutes to go, he saw Merlin get up and go to the printer. How could he still be doing work? Arthur thought indignantly. He’d not got a single thing done himself since Merlin’s rather confusing and high maintenance offer of coffee. After about ten minutes of staring at Merlin, the picture of innocent, it clicked that perhaps there was more to his offer than he’d thought. Who offers to make coffee but then refuses to carry it the few feet to his desk? No, Merlin wanted him there, in that poor excuse for a kitchen. It was killing Arthur not knowing why and at the same time, hoping it was what he’d been hinting at for the whole week. Could it still be called a date if it took place in the break room? And what was wrong with the Starbucks across the road? And why, for the love of all that was holy, could he not just say _sure, I’ll go out on a date with you_?

The clock hit 11:30 and Arthur huffed. Merlin was nowhere to be seen and he _knew_ that if they were going to have their coffee... date... thing then it would be now. He got up, in spite of Merlin and headed towards the break room, taking his cup with him. He’d have coffee on his own then.

When he got to the door, he stopped short. There was an out of order notice tacked to the window, on the inside, covering it completely. He would have shrugged and given up, even taken it as a valid excuse why Merlin wasn’t there waiting for him but... wasn’t it his job to make notices like that? Didn’t they need the Pendragon letterhead on them? And an apology of some sort, directions to the nearest alternative. 

Arthur wrapped on the door with his knuckles, following his intuition that the break room wasn’t actually out of order. How could a break room be out of order anyway? The door opened and he got his answer in the form of Merlin’s head poking out, complete with a raised eyebrow and a conspirator’s smile. Like somehow Arthur was meant to have been in on it too. 

“What’s going on?” Arthur asked, trying to sound like anything but Merlin’s boss. That wouldn’t go down well.

“I think it’s awfully difficult to have coffee privately these days, don’t you?” Merlin said, opening the door wide for him. “And I would hate for us to be disturbed, what with you trying so hard to get us alone.”

Arthur moved past him, into the room. There were no signs anything other than coffee was arranged. The room hadn’t changed in the slightest from when he’d been in here yesterday. So why was Merlin intent on making this so cloak and dagger and why hadn’t he given him a copy of the script. 

Merlin locked the door, another nail in the _strange things are going on_ coffin. But there was the coffee machine, all ready to go. And Merlin had taken his cup from him as he walked past him to the machine in question. For all intents and purposes, he was being made coffee.

But as Merlin set the cup down, there was a glint in his eyes that Arthur could only characterise as dangerously mischievous. Whatever Merlin was doing, he was playing dirty, Arthur could feel it. Perhaps he would make a good businessman after all.

“What’s going on?” Arthur asked again, his tone totally changed now. He wanted in on whatever it was that was going through Merlin’s head. It looked fun, whatever it was.

“I’m just giving you what you wanted, coffee...” Merlin paused, looked down and then looked up again defiantly. “And that date and that lay and if your sister is to be believed, my dick.”

Arthur looked around nervously out of habit. That door was definitely locked; he’d heard the lock click into place.

“Oh, don’t worry, office boy, I’ll bank that last one for later,” Merlin continued, rolling his eyes at Arthur’s jumpiness. “Luckily for you, I don’t like coffee but I’ll take the rest.”

Arthur did the maths, that just left the date and the lay. Surely this wasn’t anybody’s idea of an actual serious date. Especially not when one of them apparently didn’t like coffee. So that left the lay then.

“Are you serious?” Arthur asked, not bothering to confirm it, it would only earn him another name like prat. “The whole office-“

“Isn’t in here,” Merlin pointed out. “And they aren’t coming in any time soon. The only one with keys to that door is you and I think you’ll find that I have them now.” 

Merlin held up the keys as proof. Arthur hadn’t even thought about that. Fucking hell, he’d been planning this all morning while Arthur had been worrying about coffee break etiquette. Arthur also reminded himself of what else he’d thought this morning; that he wasn’t idiot enough to refuse Merlin whatever he wanted, so long as it got him here. At the time _here_ hadn’t been in the break room in broad daylight but fuck, it was better than nothing.

“Won’t anybody notice we’re gone?” Arthur asked, wondering if Merlin had planned for that too. He’d love a get out of jail free card for the rest of the day if Merlin could think one up.

“Alright, I like a challenge,” Merlin said, grinning in a way that Morgana would have been envious of. “That machine takes five minutes to make a decent cup of coffee right? I bet you I can have you coming before its even done.”

Arthur raised his eyebrows, wondering how he’d ever complained to himself about Merlin being unobtainable. He seemed pretty fucking obtainable right this second. It would be insane to say no now. “Alright, you’re on.”

Merlin smiled again, leaning forward from where he was casually leaning against the counter like they were discussing the FTSE.

“Good,” he said as he grabbed a fistful of Arthur’s shirt, dragging them together, barely giving Arthur a chance to draw in a startled breath before Merlin’s mouth was on his. Holding true to his word, Arthur heard him flick the switch on the coffee maker. Five minutes starting now.

Merlin kept kissing him, which was positively gentlemanly given his self-imposed time constraints but his hands didn’t waste any time, trailing down the front of his shirt until he could reach to pull it out of his professionally pressed, pinstriped trousers. He didn’t stop there, fingers moving below the belt, palming his cock through the material. Arthur smiled to himself, if it was meant to make him hard, Merlin was way behind him. He’d been almost continuously hard for the better part of the week, or at least that’s what it felt like to him. Given how frustrating Merlin was, sexually as well as otherwise, Merlin probably would win his bet. Arthur found he didn’t really mind if he did.

He was distracted from his line of thinking by Merlin’s hands on his hips, steering him, physically moving him until he was pressed against the counter, coffee machine at his back. He’d be the first one to know whether Merlin won or not.

With one final nip at his bottom lip, Merlin dragged himself away from Arthur’s mouth, turning his attention downwards. His fingers struggled slightly with the belt but were quicker with the zip and his eyes didn’t leave Arthur’s for a second, blue burning into him.

Arthur made a sound of frustration; he was still bloody infuriating even now. Merlin just laughed and shrugged easily, giving in and dropping to his knees before they started to argue about it. He took Arthur’s trousers down with him, revealing almost sheer white boxers with some designers name that Merlin couldn’t care less about repeated around the waistband. He took a moment to appreciate the way the material clung, easily stretching over Arthur’s cock and the bones of his hips. He peels the material away almost reluctantly. Would that he had hours to do this, to bathe in the heady feeling that was driving Arthur mad. It was all that had gotten him through this internship. It was all that stopped him from caving and accepting the offer of a simple, boring date.

Merlin glanced up, locking eyes with Arthur again, knowing he was wasting the precious time but in the long run, it would be worth it. Arthur held his gaze, like it was some game of chicken he was determined to win. Merlin just laughed again and pulled the apparently designer waistband all the way down, smiling in earnest at the sight of Arthur’s cock, flushed and furiously hard for him. He briefly wondered what the Pendragon company policy was on sucking off the boss’s son, effectively one’s own boss, in the mid-morning in the break room, was it a firing offence or a hiring one? He still had that form Morgana had given him. Perhaps he could put this down as work experience.

Merlin smiled to himself, putting himself back on track. He wagered he only had three and a half minutes at this point. It certainly would be a challenge. He liked a challenge. He suspected Arthur did too otherwise they wouldn’t both be here now.

Arthur stared down, watching Merlin seemingly unconsciously tease him, hands stroking his thighs and mouth breathing hot air on his dick with every breath. He breathed in, holding that breath as Merlin finally leaned in, freshly whetted lips closing around the head of his cock. Fucking finally.

He tried to let his head fall back but there was nothing to fall back against so he held it still as best he could instead, gripping the counter to keep himself from twisting his fingers in Merlin’s hair. Not that he didn’t deserve it for working him up so much. But then that was just as much his own fault for letting himself be rendered completely useless by an intern. He was starting to understand the appeal of having affairs with secretaries if they were as fucking good as interns. He lost himself in fantasies of having Merlin as his permanent secretary as Merlin ran his tongue up and down over his cock, seeking out every sensitive spot and lavishing it with attention, moving on entirely too quickly. He was walking Arthur up to the edge like he was a fucking tour guide of blow jobs. Fucking hell.

Merlin glanced up again, every fancy technique he’d ever learned put to use until he was left with the old faithful of giving head. Arthur was nearly there, it was plain to see. Merlin admired the beauty of it, of keeping someone on the edge. If only he had more time with him, then he’d do so much more. Maybe he would accept that date after all, he thought distantly as he wrapped his lips around Arthur’s cock again, taking it further than he had so far, taking it all the way in until he only had two choices, swallow or back down. And he wasn’t about to back down, not when he was winning. He forced himself to swallow, holding his breath and ignoring the burn in his eyes where they were watering reflexively. Fucking come on, he said inside his head, begging Arthur. Come.

He had to give in and ease back, either that or have _near suffocation by cock and pride_ go down on his medical records. Just as he was easing off, the head of Arthur’s cock dragging over the flat of his tongue, did he feel Arthur tense. He gripped Arthur’s thighs tighter, urging him on, waiting as patiently as he was able for that first wave of heat on his tongue. He swallowed, drinking it down eagerly until Arthur had no more to give.

Merlin leaned back on his heels, taking the moment before Arthur came back to himself to right his boxers, shirt and trousers. He was rather proud of himself. Then Arthur opened his eyes, staring down at him the way he’d stared up at him before. For once, he didn’t have something snappy on the tip of his tongue, he just stared back at him.

Then the coffee machine clicked. The coffee was done. Merlin had won.

“Now wasn’t that better than Starbucks?” Merlin asked, seemingly seriously and they both burst out laughing in the same moment, lost in the hilarity and the sheer insanity of what they’d done. Arthur offered Merlin a hand up and true to his word, Merlin poured out the coffee and handed Arthur his cup.

“I would ask you out for lunch but I’m not sure you could top that,” Arthur said, knowing he would still ask anyway but he didn’t want to let the chance at making a joke pass.

“Try me,” Merlin said, raising his eyebrows and smiling that infuriatingly cheeky smile again. “I dare you.”

**Author's Note:**

> As of 01/01/18, I'm opting to disable comments. [More information here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13077201).


End file.
